Lentil, Tomato & Arugula Salad

This salad makes a great summer lunch paired with crusty French bread. I made the dish with Ellie Krieger's Herbed Lentils in mind, but made a few substitutions based on what we had in the house.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

1 cup green lentils
2 cups of water
2 tbps olive oil
1 diced shallot
1 tsp dried basil
3 cups of arugula
6 small vine tomatoes, chopped (or cherry tomatoes, halved)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
 
Directions:

Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and  dried basil and cook until they are softened, around 2 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and parsley to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Arugula

This salad, based on a recipe from one of Curtis Stone's cookbooks,  is very easy once you get through with the vegetable prep work.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of  low sodium vegetable broth
1 English cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, diced

Directions:

Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked and the liquid has disappeared. Allow quinoa to cool.

Mix chopped vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, and arugula together. Top with a pre-made dressing, or a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This salad would also be good topped with some savory baked tofu for dinner.